When I first got online in 1996 I used AOL for a couple months. We had an access number in our area code but still got hit with long distance charges. We then switched to a local upstart provider.

I switched to another provider myself in 2001 when I was still living with my parents because the provider mentioned above put a usage cap on their service. Something like 160 hours/month. I actually worked there as an intern for an internship class my senior year and found out about the cap that way. The guy was training me on the service policies so I could answer customer questions and he was like "We have a 160 hour/month plan but 160 hours is pretty much unlimited anyway."

I thought that was lame and then a couple years later I got my own service. This service was later sold to Earthlink and I was with them for about three years before high speed finally came to my area in 2004. Before that the only high speed I was able to get was at the community college where I was a student and also an employee. I was the computer lab tech and would help students with questions throughout the day.